Beijing (PTI): China has set up a state-level body for security of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and prepared plans for any emergencies during the event, a senior official of the organising committee said.

The Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Public Security and the armed forces have been grouped together in the headquarters, Liu Jingmin, Executive Vice-President of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games (BOCOG) and Vice-Mayor of Beijing, said.

China had also enhanced exchanges and coordination with foreign securities organisations and increased training for security staff, Liu was quoted as saying by official Xinhua news agency.

"We believe security could be ensured during the Beijing Games," he said.

China had said last week that it had foiled a terror plot to strike during the Olympics with the smashing of a terrorist gang by killing two of them and arresting 15 others in the restive Muslim-majority northwestern Xinjiang Uygur region in January.

Identifying terrorism as the "biggest threat" to the Olympics, Beijing has been holding regular security drills in preparation for the Games.